RESCUERS failed in a desperate battle to save a 20-ton whale which became stranded yesterday.

Hundreds of sightseers watched as firefighters used hoses and buckets to spray the mammal as it lay on the beach at Redcar, Cleveland.

But the 44ft sperm whale, which had become lost and disorientated in the North Sea, died within hours of coming ashore.

Richard Ilderton, of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said any attempt to refloat it would have been cruel. “The North Sea is not suitable for a sperm whale because the food supply is not there,” he said.

“It becomes malnourished and ultimately results in something like this happening.”

The whale, which could now be a health hazard, was put under guard until a post-mortem today.